


A Very Poole Christmas

by VirginiasWolf



Series: Life Moves On [29]
Category: Death in Paradise
Genre: Christmas fic, F/M, Implied Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:55:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21896263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VirginiasWolf/pseuds/VirginiasWolf
Summary: A Christmas celebration in the Bordey-Poole household.Part of the Life Moves on Series
Relationships: Camille Bordey/Richard Poole
Series: Life Moves On [29]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1456375
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	A Very Poole Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> There is a time jump of several years in between this fic and the last one although I obviously intend to fill in the gaps. I just wanted to imagine what they would be doing on Christmas of this year (2019).
> 
> That being said, there are three new characters who are obviously prominent who are introduced in this fic. Emily and Rory are Richard and Camille's adopted daughters. As of this fic Emily has been a Bordey/Poole for three years and Rory has been one for eight months. Emily is ten. Rory is five. Murphy is the family dog, a Golden Retriever. He is two and also obviously adopted.

Richard freezes at the sound of footsteps behind him. He's really too old for this kind of thing, but at least the steps sound too heavy to be a child's so he won't have to worry about explaining the truth of Father Christmas to Rory or Emily. However, the thought does briefly cross his mind that a robber has broken into his flat, and on Christmas Eve nonetheless. Wouldn't that absolutely ruin the mood of the holiday getting attacked while putting out Christmas presents?

  
His fears are quickly destroyed however by the very feminine and very French voice of the intruder. "Richard? I thought I was supposed to be Father Christmas."

  
Richard can't help but snort as he turns around. "I'm almost certain that we agreed it would be me."

  
"No..." Camille starts to argue and Richard can almost see a sadness in her eyes. Being able to do this was something she must have been looking forward to, especially since they now have a child who is young enough to still believe that the presents are actually from Father Christmas.

  
"Well, there technically isn't a rule on how to do these things, so maybe it can be a two-person job."

  
The light from the Christmas tree makes Camille look almost radiant and ethereal and Richard decides that if they weren't already married this would be the moment he would propose to her, and it would be much more gallant and romantic than what his actual proposal had been. Either way, although he considers himself to be far from a romantic, he counts this as one of the little moments he falls even further in love with her.

  
After the presents have been lovingly laid out Camille turns to him with a wicked smirk on her face. "I wonder how it would feel to make love by the light of the Christmas tree."

  
Richard initially finds himself blushing at this suggestion. "Camille, there are two children in this flat."

  
"And they are asleep upstairs. Where is your sense of adventure Richard? Of passion?" As she speaks she advances on him before pressing her mouth to his and Richard is reminded of all the times in the past when they would spontaneously make love for no reason other than they simply felt like it.

  
Their relationship certainly hasn't been lacking in love or communication, but it has been months at least since sex wasn't carefully planned out and he does miss that. His resolve certainly isn't helped by the hand she cups over his pajama bottoms as she uses her tongue to tease his lips apart. Soon he is groaning into her mouth. Eventually, he manages to pull away from her long enough to murmur, "I believe we will both be making the naughty list this year."

  
When the act is finished, Richard lies on the couch with Camille stretched out on top of him tracing patterns on the exposed portion of his chest. 

  
"It really is beautiful isn't it?" He can't see her face, but there is a heavy-lidded tone to her voice as she gazes at the twinkling lights a few feet away.

  
Richard is almost sleepy too, but he realizes it would hardly look good to fall asleep on the couch and his back will kill him if they do. He will be turning fifty this next year after all.

  
Suddenly he hears the sound of pattering feet coming down the stairwell. Camille hears the noise too and sits up muttering, "Shit!" 

  
They're going to have to think up an explanation fast. Richard isn't worried about their little activity being questioned as they have managed to reasonably redress themselves, but the fact that the presents and the cookies and milk are both out with Father Christmas nowhere to be found will probably lead to some sort of discussion unless of course the child catching them is Emily who is ten and therefore no longer believes in Father Christmas. Although she could still decide to have an ornery streak and tell the truth to her younger sister.

  
"Rory? Emily?" Richard doesn't consider that perhaps it isn't a human at all that is about to walk in on them. At least he doesn't consider it until a shaggy, furry head peers into the living room. Murphy, the family dog, a golden retriever. Richard and Camille exchange a relieved glance before Richard holds out his hand. "You're not going to tell our secret, are you?"

  
The dog tilts his head in response and Richard can only hope that he understands. Part of him also worries that Murphy has some idea of the other secret. Can't dogs smell that kind of stuff on humans? This thought makes him blush in the dim light and Camille turns to him apparently sensing his discomfort.

  
"Honey, are you okay?" 

  
"Yep. Yep. I'm great," he stumbles over his words before standing up and holding out his hand. "Are you ready to go back to bed?"

  
Camille looks around before standing up next to him. "Shouldn't we do something about the milk and cookies?"

  
"Right." Richard grabs the plate and glass off of the table. "Well, this is definitely going to be poured directly down the sink. It's sat out far too long to be safe for human consumption. Do you think Rory will notice if I put these back into the tin?"

  
-  
"Maman! Papa! Wake up! Daddy Christmas was here!" Richard groans and tries to roll away from the voice, but Rory's only response is to actually crawl up onto the bed between him and Camille so that she is now screaming directly in Richard's face. "Wake up! Wake up!"

  
Resigning himself Richard opens his eyes and is met with an almost identical pair of green ones. Despite being adopted Rory looks almost as if she could actually be Richard's biological daughter. Same brown hair. Same green eyes and Richard could almost swear she even has the same crooked smile that he does. Yet it would be physically impossible for the five-year-old to be his biological child.

  
Richard can barely even see his wife over the form of the youngest Poole, but he can hear Camille clearly when she mutters, "Why don't you get your sister and go wait downstairs? Papa and I need time to get dressed."

  
At this, the child huffs but climbs off the bed and runs out of the room. In the hall Richard can hear her loudly yell her sister's name. "EMILY!"

  
"Remind me again why we adopted a second child?" Richard groans.

  
"You adore her," Camille teases.

  
Although he is still sullen by all outwards appearances Richard knows she is absolutely right. Although it has been less than a decade since he would have sworn he preferred to live a life of complete solitude, he now knows that is not the case. He loves being a father and being a husband, and he is particularly proud of how over the past eight months Rory has turned from a shy, clingy child to the bundle of energy she has become. Still, he has to protest. "Camille, I'm far too old for this."

  
"Well, you were certainly quite agile last night."

  
"Camille!" Richard can't help but blush in remembrance of what transpired the previous night. It had been fantastic, but he isn't sure if now is the time to bring it up.

  
His suspicions are only confirmed when a face framed by a head of curly red hair peers into the bedroom, Emily, Richard and Camille's older daughter who is ten. Emily first became a member of the family three years ago. Like Camille, Emily is biracial with one biological parent having been Caucasian and the other African, and this had been a defining factor in the agency choosing to place her in their home. During the earliest days, Richard had been more than a little warmed by watching Camille helping their daughter learn about her history and also discovering things about herself in the process.

  
Right now as Emily peers into the room she is grimacing. "No canoodling."

  
"Where did she even learn that word?" Richard mutters to Camille. When he looks back towards the doorway his older daughter is already gone.

  
-  
Minutes later Richard and Camille make their way downstairs and Richard lingers outside of the kitchen. "Do you think I have time for a cup of tea?"

  
Camille looks as if she is just barely containing her laughter as she responds. "You have not changed one bit since the moment I met you."

  
Not so many years ago this comment would have caused Richard to bristle under the assumption that Camille saw him as boring or stale, now he knows it just means that she sees him as him. He merely shrugs in response. "I suppose the tea can wait until after presents."

  
When he enters the living room Rory and Emily both look as if they are vibrating with excitement and Murphy is standing between the two girls looking confused. A quick side glance reveals to Richard that his wife is also glowing with the excitement of the holiday and seeing her radiant smile is quite possibly the loveliest Christmas present he can think of.

  
The next hour or so is a chaotic mess, and although it is a very happy one Richard is more than relieved when he finally has a chance to just sit on the couch with Camille and just watch their daughters playing.

  
After a while he realizes Camille is watching him with a small smile on her face instead and suddenly begins to feel self-conscious. "What?"

  
"I'm just thinking back to the very first case we worked together when I pulled you into a room in front of the killer and started threatening you."

  
Richard can't help but feel confused and a little nervous for a moment. "And this makes you happy?"

  
"No, I am happy because back then I was so eager to get as far away from you as possible and now I cannot even begin to imagine living my life without you here next to me."

  
"Well, you would probably be living back on Saint Marie right now." This comment earns him a slap on the arm.

  
"I am serious. You are not just my husband. You are also my best friend, and my world would be so much duller without you here."

  
At this Richard leans over and laces his hand with hers. "And I feel the exact same way about you. Having you in my life has changed every part of my world and I am forever grateful for that." He leans in just enough that his lips can brush against hers when suddenly they are interrupted.

  
"No canoodling!" Emily yells and Rory repeats her in an almost chorus.

  
As Richard pulls away from Camille she blushes and brushes an invisible fleck of dust off of her pajamas. "Why don't Papa and I go make breakfast?" At this she turns back to Richard, "and you can finally get your cup of tea."

  
In the kitchen, Richard immediately goes to make his cup of tea while Camille looks through one of their recipe notebooks before deciding they should make gingerbread crepes.

  
Soon they are both doing their part to mix ingredients but Richard can't help but pause as he hears Emily reading to Rory in the other room. "You know I gave up on having this a long time ago."

  
Camille looks at him confused for a moment apparently not quite getting that he's trying to be spontaneously sentimental. "Crepes?"

  
"No, a happy family."

"Well, Cherie you have a very happy family indeed." Camille smiles brilliantly at him and in his heart, Richard knows that what she is saying is the truth and he wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
